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Early Childhood Educational Toys Increase Learning Potential Later in Life

The best way to educate children will always be a hot news topic. Are kids better with compact flash cards or writing out spelling lessons on the black board? Or are we more on track today with the world of technology and fun educational toys? Although the answer to the question may never warrant full agreement, one thing is for certain, when educational systems don’t appear to be working, a new solution is immediately sought. Instead of just looking at free educational games or educational toys for the classroom, many teachers get right down to basics when reviewing their teaching strategies.

In Wales, educators are questioning whether to scrap formal education from the age of five and replace it with more informal, play-based activities utilizing educational toys, for children between the ages of three and seven. Experts believe that formal education at too young of an age my actually put children off learning. With this in mind, it appears that the American model of starting formal education a little later, combined with effective utilization of free educational games, promotes a long-lasting positive attitude to learning.

In fact, early childhood development indicates that young children do not benefit significantly from formal teaching until their social and cognitive skills are sufficiently mature. With that in mind, starting children on reading and writing before they are ready may actually be counter-productive and inhibit learning. Instead children learn best through play and active involvement. Educational toys, therefore, serve a profound purpose in the early development of children. To better prepare children for formal education, start them out with free educational games and other interactive toys that encourage learning under the guise of fun.